Buscar:lo max

Auf dieser Tribute-Compilation finden sich Interpretationen von Margo-Guryan-Songs von TOPS, Rahill, Clairo, June McDoom, MUNYA und Kainalu, Frankie Cosmos und Good Morning, Kate Bollinger, Pearl & The Oysters, Bedouine und Sylvie, Empress Of, Barrie, und Margo Price. Die meisten unserer Geschichten über Kultmusiker, die ein oder zwei Alben machen und dann zu verschwinden scheinen, sind von Trauer, Verzweiflung und ausgefranstem Ehrgeiz umrahmt. Nicht so bei Margo Guryan, einer begeisterten Jazz-Ausnahmeerscheinung, die Popmusik verachtete, bis sie 1966 „God Only Knows“ hörte, das ihr ein Fenster zu den Wundern öffnete, die diese Musik-Form enthalten konnte. Nur zwei Jahre später veröffentlichte sie auf dem Album „Take a Picture“ ihre eigenen kleinen Popsinfonien und erntete dafür großes Lob und hohe Erwartungen. Aber da sie sich bereits von dem Posaunisten Bob Brookmeyer hatte scheiden lassen, lehnte sie es ab, ein Musikerleben zu führen und auf Tournee zu gehen oder auch nur darüber zu sprechen. Ihre Zurückhaltung führte dazu, dass „Take a Picture“ bald in den Regalen der Discounter und letztlich in den Mülleimern landete. Sie schrieb weiterhin Songs und nahm noch jahrelang auf, arbeitete sogar mit der Band von Neil Diamond zusammen, aber meistens schien sie mit ihrem relativ privaten Leben zufrieden zu sein. Wie es sich für eine so atemberaubende und subtile Musik gehört, erlebte die 2021 verstorbene Guryan in den letzten sechs Jahrzehnten mehrere Wiederauferstehungen. Und jetzt geschieht es wieder: Kurz nachdem ihre fast geflüsterte und liebeskranke Hymne „Why Do I Cry“ sie 2021, im selben Jahr, in dem sie starb, zum TikTok-Star machte, startete die Numero Group eine Wiederveröffentlichungskampagne, aus der 2024 das hochgelobte Set „Words and Music“ hervorging. Und jetzt haben ein Dutzend Künstler - von denen keiner geboren war, als „Take a Picture“ entstand - das gesamte Album (plus einen Bonustrack) für „Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan“ neu interpretiert. Empress Of, Margo Price, Clairo, June McDoom: Sie alle bestätigen Guryans Schärfe als Songwriterin und die Brillanz eines Albums, das den Werbezyklus, den Guryan vor so langer Zeit ablehnte, bei weitem übertroffen hat. Guryan wurde in einer weitläufigen Familie in Far Rockaway geboren, als der Ort noch größtenteils von Bäumen umrahmt war. Während ihres Kompositionsstudiums an der Boston University stolperte Guryan in einen Auftritt als Pianistin zwischen den Konzerten des Miles Davis Quintet, unterschrieb einen Vertrag als Songwriterin bei Atlantic Records und verpatzte eine Session mit Nesuhi Ertegun. Aber sie war nicht darauf aus, ein Gesangsstar zu werden. 1959 ging sie an die Lenox School of Jazz in den Berkshires, um für Ornette Coleman und Don Cherry zu schreiben, die Aufmerksamkeit des Dozenten Max Roach zu gewinnen und in Gunther Schuller einen langjährigen Mentor und Freund zu finden. Sie wurde eine versierte Texterin und schrieb nicht nur für Coleman und Nancy Harrow, sondern auch für Harry Belafonte und Gary MacFarland. Aber es war die spätere Begegnung mit den Beach Boys, die Guryan die Tür zu „Take a Picture“ und einer Reihe anderer großartiger Songs öffnete, von denen viele auf „Words and Music“ erschienen sind. „Take a Picture“ ist eine ausgefeilte Bestandsaufnahme der Romantik und Unentschlossenheit der Mittzwanziger, vom koketten Treiben in „Sunday Morning“ und der Verliebtheit in „Can You Tell“ bis zur verzweifelten Hilflosigkeit in „What Can I Give You“. Ihre ewig weiche Stimme, ihre kühne Songkunst und ihre völlige Offenheit: Guryan machte 1968 und darüber hinaus gewagte Musik, egal wie sanft sich diese Klänge zu bewegen schienen. „Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan“ unterstreicht die Stärke von Guryans Liedern, indem es einem Dutzend verschiedener Künstler erlaubt, sie auf ihre eigene Reise mitzunehmen. Im Laufe der letzten Jahrzehnte ist immer deutlicher geworden, wie gut Guryan war, wie stabil ihre Lieder inmitten der wechselnden Geschmacksrichtungen. „Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan“ ist eine absolute Bestätigung, ein Zeugnis für die anhaltende Relevanz und Brillanz von Guryans Arbeit. Ein Teil des Erlöses dieses Albums wird für die Bereitstellung von und den Einsatz für erschwingliche reproduktive Gesundheitsdienste gespendet.

Heute, genau 10 Jahre nach dem ursprünglichen Release, veröffentlicht Matador Records ein Re-Issue des populären achten Studioalbums von Spoon, "They Want My Soul". Es ist ab sofort auf allen digitalen Plattformen verfügbar und erscheint am 08. November auch als Doppel-LP und Doppel-CD. Neben den zehn Originaltracks - inklusive der Band-Klassiker "Inside Out", "Do You" und "Rent I Pay" enthält die Deluxe-Version elf Demos und Alternate Versions, die bislang fast alle unveröffentlicht sind. Die Wiederveröffentlichung unterstreicht den herausragenden Platz des Albums in einer beeindruckenden Diskographie und bietet Einblick in eine der prägenden Phasen der Spoon-Geschichte. "They Want My Soul" folgte 2014 auf "Transference", ein von der Band selbst produziertes Album, nach deren Veröffentlichung sich die Band erschöpft fühlte. Als "Transference" herauskam, waren sieben Alben in 14 Jahren erschienen und Spoon hatten sich beständig auf Tour befunden. Der ungewohnte Sound des Albums machte es dem Publikum zudem schwer und obwohl es ihre bis dahin erfolgreichste Platte wurde, blieb es um die Veröffentlichung insgesamt relativ ruhig. Es folgte eine Bandpause. Und 2014 dann schließlich die Rückkehr mit "They Want My Soul", das sie mit Joe Chiccarelli (Strokes, White Stripes) aufnahmen - und mit Dave Fridmann, dem visionären Produzenten von Flaming Lips, MGMT oder Low. Die Arbeit mit Fridmann, der für seine maximalistisch-psychedelische Herangehensweise bekannt ist, scheint erst mal keine allzu offensichtliche Wahl, erwies sich dann aber schnell als außerordentlich fruchtbar. Nicht zuletzt entstand so "Inside Out, der heute meistgestreamte Song der Band überhaupt. Aus klanglicher Sicht ist "They Want My Soul", das vielleicht das strahlendste Album, das Spoon je gemacht haben. Umso interessanter ist es, nun ergänzend die Demos hören zu können, die zu diesem Album führten und die in dieser Deluxe-Edition enthalten sind.

Phenomenal ambient explorations from the talented French electronic producer

Music taken from the artistic performance led by visual artists Mark Pozlep and Maxime Berthou.
The new compositions by French electronic producer Julien Jabre illustrate the stunning visuals of the Franco-Slovenian duo.
Julien Jabre’s Soutien De Famille sees him exploring the subtle gaps and nuances of his past work, crafting ten tracks of low-lit ambient textures and non-percussive rhythms.
A deeply introspective listening experience, Soutien De Famille unfolds at times like the breathless pause before a storm’s fury, and at others like the serene hush of meditative calm, where time itself lingers in a quiet wave.
It's as if Julien Jabre’s compositions whisper the promise of clarity after chaos where every note breathes reflection into the vast expanse of possibility.

Limited Edition - 300 copies.

Names You Can Trust presents the third release in its Swing-A-Ling "Now Sounds" 7-inch series, a limited collection of record presses celebrating the label's long-running summertime Jamaican music dance and cookout that takes place in the relatively undiscovered enclaves of the Flatlands neighborhood of Brooklyn. In the spirit of the Swing-A-Ling event, the "Now Sounds" series focuses on the unreleased, never-to-be-released, or utterly underground gems that may have otherwise been locked in the vaults for years to come. This year, the series resurrects a definitive tasty treat for the Fall and upcoming Halloween season, a picturesque capture of obscure early-70's cinematic darkness, featuring an ode to horror-style DJ toasting and its accompanying haunted hammond organ cut, courtesy of the curious and spectral stage name Vincent Price & The Young Spirits. As always, the Swing-A-Ling series has been touched up sonically at the NYCT studio HQ in Brooklyn, then mastered and cut by renown London engineer Frank Merritt at The Carvery for maximum sound system engagement.

"In a world where there are no more heroes, the Fleshtones walk the earth like Roman gods. Since their inception in 1976 in Queens, New York, and their sweaty, boozy gestation at legendary venues such as CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and the storied Club 57— recently feted at the Museum of Modern Art, where their proto-video underground film “Soul City” was unspooled for art stars, glitterati, and a raft of punk rockers who managed to get past the front gate — they have perpetrated their proprietary brand of SUPER ROCK, a frenetic amalgam of garage punk and soul, punctuated by the big beat and unleashed with the spectacular show business majesty which has kept them on the road for over forty years, adored by audiences whose love for them borders on religious fervor.

It’s Getting Late (…and More Songs About Werewolves) is a smash that could have dropped at any point in their epic career — it is an outburst, and a celebration of the SUPER ROCK sound. Unlike their contemporaries, they have not dialed down the tempos to compensate for osteoporosis, they have not lost anything on their fastball, and continue to throw it for strikes. The hardest working band in garage rock has never sounded better, and now you see why they've been your favorite band's favorite band for decades."

Following his most commercially and critically successful year to date, Conway the Machine returns with his first full length offering of 2024, “Slant Face Killah.” Long teased as the second half of the chart-topping 2023 album, “WON’T HE DO IT,” fans see Conway the Machine embracing his killer instincts on the mic, and doing so with versatility - rapping over the familiar gritty, dark beats fans remember discovering him on during his come up (Milano Nights, Pt. 1) to more unconventional beats, showcasing his ability to adapt and grow (Raw!). With an impressive feature list including Method Man, Raekwon, Joey Bada$$, Larry June, Key Glock, Jay Worthy & more, and production from heavyweight producers such as The Alchemist, Daringer, Conductor Williams, Cardo, Swizz Beatz & more, The Machine illustrates both his reach in today’s rap game, as well as his ability as a tastemaker. Known for consistently delivering quality music for his die-hard fans, The Machine is back to put his stamp on 2024. 2xLP Vinyl, includes Gatefold Jacket.

Expected late October/early November

Scott Gilmore’s Volume 01, an Analog Synth Gem, Makes Its Vinyl Debut - Pressed at 45RPM for maximum fidelity.

Recorded on a vintage Tascam 388, the LP version of Gilmore’s alluring, easy-going instrumental electronic record arrives in the physical world via In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi Records.

Los Angeles, CA — When the Los Angeles electronic musician and multi-instrumentalist Scott Gilmore recalls the creation of the songs on Volume 01, he describes specific moments of spontaneous inspiration. “I remember sitting at the tape deck, watching the leaves outside the window as they flittered in the sunlight—a moment of stillness that became intertwined with the melody I was recording,” Gilmore recalls, speaking of the track “Song For Cate.”

This sense of simplicity and presence is at the heart of Volume 01, which was recorded entirely on a Tascam 388 using a carefully curated selection of instruments.

Volume 01, an intimate, instinctual album that mixes lo-fi digital rhythms, strummed guitar, and melodic synth layers, is a collection of songs that captures Gilmore’s magnetic fluidity and the spontaneity of his process. Initially released digitally and as a limited edition cassette, Volume 01 is set to be issued on vinyl for the first time by In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi.

The Tascam 388 is a classic mid-1980s analog machine that combines an 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder with a built-in mixing console. Volume 01 exudes the kind of hazy, nostalgic warmth that only such recorders can provide. For the nine-song album, Gilmore harnessed analog synths including the Arp Odyssey, Yamaha CS-01, Korg DW-8000, Hohner Pianet T, Roland TR 606, and Roland SH 101, as well as bamboo alto saxophone, clarinet, electric guitar, and electric bass.

The album is awash in brief, propellant pieces. At just over four minutes, the relatively epic “Horizon Line” is driven by a three-note snare pattern, a two-note cymbal tap, with a humble bass-line serving as the rudder; Gilmore’s improvised keyboard runs move with an intuitive, conversational glee. The pensive "Shade" sounds like it could be a Penguin Cafe Orchestra demo. Closing track “D. Hareem” runs on a wobbly time signature but with an insistent, determined rhythm that belies genre descriptives. “I prefer to not know what I’m making as I compose,” Gilmore says. “It’s when I can’t clearly define what the music is that it’s then something that I want to put out into the world.”

In hindsight, Volume 01 was a portent. After its 2016 cassette release, Gilmore connected with International Feel, the Balearic imprint run by Marc Barrot, to release the sublime Subtle Vertigo. In 2019, Gilmore’s music caught the attention of Marc Hollander, the experimental composer and founding member of Aksak Maboul, which led to a signing with the Belgian label Crammed Discs. That deal enabled the creation of Gilmore’s solo album Two Roomed Motel and Doctor Fluorescent, a retro-futuristic, Vocoder-heavy 2020 collaboration with Eddie Ruscha V, a.k.a. Secret Circuit). Across these projects, Gilmore’s work has been mentioned in the same sentences as Stereolab, Arthur Russell, Woo, Air, R. Stevie Moore, and others, all of whom have combined synths and non-synths to memorable effect.

With the upcoming vinyl release, Volume 01 will set into wax an enduring set of works, offering listeners the chance to experience analog artistry in its most authentic, tangible form. In Sheep’s Clothing Records is honored to bring Gilmore’s work to vinyl.

Saxophonist and musical omnivore Benjamin Herman has been one of Holland’s most productive musicians of his generation for over three decades. Aside from thousands of gigs, Benjamin has released over 50 albums as a solo artist and as frontman of his groove-orientated ensemble New Cool Collective. His wonderfully diverse musical output includes straight-ahead jazz, Gypsy jazz, punk jazz, film scores, Afrobeat, Latin music and postmodern interpretations of pieces by Dutch composer Misha Mengelberg, as well as collaborations with vocalists, poets, pop stars, hip-hop artists, and instrumentalists from all over the world. The common thread is his quest for a recognizable, personal sound on the alto saxophone. As usual, his latest album finds him exploring new territory.

With his Bughouse project, he fulfills his long-standing desire to blend his old loves of punk and jazz. The latest Bughouse album, "Bughouse: The ERUS / ARC Sessions”, displays the versatility of Benjamin Herman's Bughouse, covering a wide range of styles from jazz-punk to noise, free jazz, and beyond.

Red Laser gets on a kinky tip, where poppers are currency and salacious activities mandatory as label chief Il Bosco grabs us by the nethers and heads for 'The Darkroom EP'.

Inspired by amyl-soaked tales of Euro basement sex club debauchery, and steadily edging its way to a never-ending climax, the EP is a highly charged exercise in x-rated synth-jizz and erotic Manctalo that'll have you quickly believing you're surrounded by massive pulsating dicks on a cocktail of GHB and Mkat.
Maintaining a persistent throb throughout, the EP has us reaching blindly through clouds of pink saturated club smoke, unsure of what our sweat-soaked hands will grasp on to.

Two remixes alongside three originals. Fabrizio Mammarella has the blood rushing to our head quicker than a whiff of Rush Black Label* on his mix of 'Notio Botherdini'. Adding extra acid for a trippier sexperience and urging willing participants to "close your eyes" as he achieves maximum thrust.

Meanwhile local Stretford poppers enthusiast** Bob Swans also has a fumble in the shadows, remixing 'Dark Room' with late late late on in the session in mind - a time of carnal lucidity and primal urges that'd make even Michael Barrymore's peculiar desires look vanilla. It's a sparse and special redux, fluffing us with that latexy bassline and never-ended sfx trails until we're quite literally cumming in your ears.
Apologies, that probably was a bit graphic.

*Poppers brand highly endorsed by Red Laser contributor Count Van Delicious

**Red Laser only hypothesizes to said producer’s poppers usage.

The French group consolidates its soul, rock and Americana roots in a liberating and timeless second album.

In 2021, Lowland Brothers, the first self-titled album from the group led by Nico Duportal (vocals, guitars, lyrics), Hugo Deviers (percussion, guitar, lyrics) and Max Genouel (bass, keyboards) built an unprecedented transatlantic bridge between soul, rock and the woody sounds of Americana. " We have some

African-American, but our desire is to transport this baggage and take it elsewhere,” specifies the group from the West and North of France.

Step right up, ⁢dear music aficionados! Welcome to the melodic adventure of Penny’s Big Breakaway, the long-awaited kinetic 3D-platformer developed by Evening Star and published by Private Division (Take-Two Interactive).

The composer team behind‌ Sonic Mania, led by Tee Lopes, present a new masterpiece, crafted ‌with love and finesse. This colorful soundtrack features various vibes, from funk to rock with even house and EDM accents. So sit ⁣back, and let the‍ groovy waves wash over you.

"Ultravisitor" ist seit seinem Release im März 2004 zum Fanliebling und einem der beliebtesten Platten in Squarepushers gesamter Diskographie avanciert. Mit seiner einzigartigen Mischung aus Studio- und Live-Aufnahmen ist es gleichzeitig ein hervorragendes Beispiel für die Vielfalt seiner Musik: vom frenetischen Titeltrack über den funky Jazz von "Iambic 9 Poetry" bis zur sonnendurchfluteten Glückseligkeit von "Tommib Help Buss" und darüber hinaus.

Zum 20. Jubiläum präsentiert Warp eine erweiterte Deluxe-Version in einmaliger, limitierter Auflage, die von Jason Mitchell (Loud Mastering) unter der Ägide von Tom Jenkinson sorgfältig von den Originalbändern remastert. Tom hat die Gelegenheit genossen, die Bänder noch einmal zu überarbeiten und den Stücken neue Dynamik und Details zu verleihen.

Das beigefügte Bonusalbum "Venus No.17 Maximised" besteht aus ultra-raren Tracks einer Ultravisitor-Promo-EP, der "Square Window" 3"-CD (die bei Vorbestellungen über WarpMart gratis mitgeliefert wurde) sowie der "Venus No.17" EP (alle aus 2004). Das beiliegende Booklet enthält seltene Fotos, Flyer und Aufnahmedokumenten, darunter einer Anleitung zu allen Geräten, die Squarepusher damals verwendete.

Reissue of this italo disco classic from 1983. Comes with Flemming Dalum and Victor Ark remixes!

"Disco Crash" wird zum allerersten Mal auf Vinyl veröffentlicht und um die Klangdynamik zu maximieren, wird es auf einer Doppel-LP sein! Dieses Album aus dem Jahr 2012 enthält Beiträge von Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, Sophie Ellis-Bextor und Sean Paul. (Wieder-)Entdecken Sie die weltweiten Hits "Far l"Amore", "Rock The Boat" und "Tik Tok" ...

« A Fantastic mixture of Brakka, Reggae & Afrobeat Recorded between 1980 and 1984 from the underground Afropean boxer Mushapata »

“Saba-Saba Fighting” or fighting for peace, is the message that Mushapata, a legend of the African reggae underground scene in Paris with an extraordinary destiny, has fought for all his life.

Born in Bukavu, a city nowadays located in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the border with Burundi, Mushapata arrived in France at the end of the 1970s to pursue his career as a boxer. A few years later, revolted by the professional sports industry, he became a personal protection agent on the advice of his manager. He escorted many celebrities among whom Bob Marley during his legendary French tour of 1980. This encounter awakened the musician hidden behind the boxing champion. Mushapata had stepped out of the ring but he kept fighting with music, lyrics and his band Saba-Saba Fighting.

Ignored by the record labels of the time, his first self-produced recordings reveal a rough mix of lo-fi reggae, afrobeat rhythms accompanied by a brass section close to Free jazz. The nonchalant sounding voices of Mushapata and Tshayi complete this explosive cocktail and carry, in Swahili language, the Pan-African ideas of Lumumba and other great figures of African-American struggles.

This maxi single, conceived as a mini-compilation tribute, includes 4 titles from the first two albums recorded between 1980 and 1984. Limited edition!

The highly acclaimed NYC duo embodies DIY culture, a lo-fi sound w a distinctly hi-fi, maximalist cultural vision. Genre-transcending music for an overstimulated generation. Infamous for cathartic, erratic performances, MG has a rabid following thru sonic maximalism & anime/B-horror visual flair. Anthemic & fast-paced, the new studio album MG Ultra is Machine Girl’s heaviest music to date & also offers a boiling-the-frog intro to MG for new fans. MG lore juxtaposes whether the picture painted is that of reality, a fantastical escape, or a jarring future. Infamous for cathartic, unpredictable performances & genre-agnostic catalog, Machine Girl's vitriolic, organic following has developed through sonic maximalism & anime/B-horror visual flair.

Die Londoner Experimentalisten Kinkajous releasen ihr neues Album auf dem Nottinghamer Label Running Circle. "Nothing Will Disappear" ist Ambient-Maximalismus in seiner subtilsten und zartesten Form. Anklänge an Floating Points und subtile Klangfarben-Shifts á la Jon Hopkins und James Holden sind deutlicher zu erkennen als bei anderen zeitgenössischen Jazzacts. Die beiden Vorgänger "Hidden Lines" (2019) und "Being Waves" (2021) sind Paradebeispiele für ihre Mischung aus analoger, akustischer und orchestraler Instrumentierung und schafften es beide in zahlreiche Jahresendlisten.

Von CLASH als "ein wichtiger Teil der britischen Musiklandschaft" beschrieben, beziehen Kinkajous ihre Inspiration aus Orchester-, Instrumental- und elektronischer Musik und sind für ihren fesselnden und filmreifen Sound bekannt. Angeführt von Schlagzeuger/Produzent Benoît Parmentier und Saxophonist Adrien Cau, können sie mit einer beeindruckenden Besetzung aufwarten, zu der auch Keyboarder Jack Doherty und Bassist Andres Castellanos gehören. Die mutigen neuen Räume, in die Kinkajous vorgedrungen ist, kommen gut an, mit ausverkauften Headliner-Shows im Londoner Jazz Café und King's Place, neben einer gigantischen Zusammenarbeit im letzten Winter mit dem London Contemporary Orchestra im Londoner Earth Theatre und Auftritten bei den Bluedot und EFG London Jazz Festivals.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.